'“James Patrick has a big influence on this team. This is a guy who really leads by example. While he may be the oldest player on the team, he certainly doesn’t act it. He’s probably in better shape than the rest of us. In fact, he’s in tremendous shape. He puts the rest of us to shame."'

'Yet the reality is the team lost $10 million and there is a very real possibility the NHL may have a shortened season in 2004-05 because of prolonged negotiations between the league and the National Hockey League Players' Association over a collective bargaining agreement. The team's losses were about 40 percent more than what Golisano had initially projected before he bought the Sabres.'

'Entercom, which already owns WGR-AM, is expected to kill WNSA's sports format so it can become the only sports talk game in town. That would eventually mean Buffalo Sabres games probably will head back to their old home at WGR.'

'Forwards Chris Drury, Mike Grier and defenseman Jeff Jillson of the Buffalo Sabres were among 14 National Hockey League players added to the U.S. team for the world hockey championship later this month.'

'''I think in past years, one night you'd get Marty Biron `A,' one night you got Marty Biron `B,' and then some night there would be Marty Biron `C,''' he said. ''But if you look at all the tapes of my last 25 games, they're all the same. They all show where I was under control, where I was calm, I wasn't fighting the puck. And that's the way I want to play. I think that's how I made strides.'''

'"It could get very ugly," Sabres winger Mike Grier said. "Both sides are fairly passionate about their stance and what they believe in. If neither side is willing to compromise, it could be a long time."'

'While with the Sabres, he averaged just over 15 minutes of ice time per game. By the end of the season, he was often playing 20 minutes. The Sabres even adjusted their lineup to create a permanent spot for Roy by trading veteran center Curtis Brown. ”They were saying, ‘You can be our third-line center,’” said Roy, who scored 9-10 — 19 in 49 NHL games. “I was playing a lot and it gave me a lot of confidence.”'

'A lack of knowledge about current players and systems was thought to be a reason Sather did not hire Nolan two summers ago, but Nolan now laughs that off. "Well, I didn't know anybody in Buffalo the first time I got there, either," he said. "But I have to say I'm probably the most aware of who is in this league now than I've ever been. And my forté, anyway, is to get the most out of the players that I have at the time. Getting people to work is my thing."'

'Satan said, "We didn't make the playoffs for the third straight season and this is getting old." Satan says he's under contract for next season, but indicated he would not sign another deal in Buffalo.'

'''My agent will keep talking to the Sabres, but I think I'm going to test (free agency) and see what's going on,'' Zhitnik said on Tuesday as Sabres players cleaned out their lockers after the team failed to qualify for the playoffs. ''I don't want to say I've played my last game here. I'm just taking it one day at a time right now.'''